Housing Officer

**Location**: Blackburn (will be covering the North West)
**Working hours**: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week.
**Salary**: £26,250 Per annum
**Contract type**: Full time
You are required to have a valid UK driving licence for this role. You will be provided with a with a vehicle and fuel card along with any tools required to complete the work (Phone/Tablet).
On behalf of the Home Office, Serco manages the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract (AASC) for the Midlands and East of England. We focus on assisting individuals through the asylum system, ensuring that vulnerable asylum seekers have access to the support they need along with a high standard of accommodation.
Our Housing Officers (HO’s) are responsible for ensuring compliance with the AASC Contract, company policies, processes, and procedures through their liaison with Staff, Service Users, Landlords, External Agencies and Partners. You will be covering multiple areas in the Midlands region and ensuring that all properties within the allocated portfolio are safe, habitable, fit for purpose and fully equipped in accordance with AASC Standards. There is a requirement to operate an Emergency On-Call system outside of normal working hours amongst all Housing Officers on a rota basis.
This role is suited to someone with a solid work history dealing with people face to face and enjoys a demanding workload where you get to utilise your organisations skills whilst remaining calm under pressure and supporting our service users. You will be expected to travel between properties in Stoke & Crewe so you must hold a valid UK drivers’ licence and be enthusiastic about taking on a range of accountabilities such as:
Complete a Monthly Inspection of all Properties within the allocated portfolio in accordance with the standard defined within the AASC Contract and property standards guide.
Manage on-boarding and withdrawal of properties within allocated portfolio in accordance with the Housing Officer Local Operating Procedures (LOP).
Report all property faults identified, correctly categorising them for appropriate response.
Complete all minor Property repairs within the scope enabled by training, experience and the toolkit and spares provided.
Administration of operational cash to enable the completion of tasks such as topping up of utility meters & emergency cash payments.
Respond to customer complaints
This role will also be counted in an On Call roster which is one in eleven, weekend and out of hours working.
What you’ll need to do the role
Whilst experience in a previous property related role is beneficial, this isn’t a requirement, more importantly is your desire and enthusiasm to make a difference. You will be expected to take on a variety of tasks to support our service users and some may be challenging - dealing with anti-social behaviours, medical needs, management of child safeguarding needs etc.
You will have strong communication skills and be confident managing conflict.
Why Serco
**Meaningful and vital work**: As part of a highly collaborative team, you’ll be able to strongly influence hiring managers efforts that help us deliver vital services.
**A world of opportunity**: Working for a globally operating business delivering essential services across 5 vital sectors, your next opportunity and challenge won’t be hard to find.
**Great people**: You’ll become an integral member of a well-defined and supportive team, who believe passionately in the value of our work.
What we offer
**Salary**: Competitive salaries with annual reviews
**Pension**: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
**Training and development**: We offer a wide range of learning opportunities with over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships, mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
**Wellbeing**: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, BUPA Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, Simplyhealth cash plans to claim back money towards healthcare costs, 30% off at Serco-managed leisure centres
**Discounts**: Save across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
**ShareSave scheme**: Helps you save regularly with the choice to buy Serco shares at a discount at the end of your savings period
**Employee networks**: Dedicated networks where colleagues can come together to find support, share challenges, discuss ideas, network and be part of a community
**Charity**: Support a charity or organisation with a paid volunteering day each year. You can also choose to donate to your favourite charity tax-free, through our Payroll Giving Scheme.
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About Serco
At Serco, not only is the nature of the work we do important, everyone has an important role to play, from caring for vulnerable people to managing complex public services. We are a team of 50,000 people responsible for delivering essential public services around the world in areas including defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthc